Apparatus for concentrating milk.



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E. B. GLAUSSEN. APPARATUS FOR CONGBNTRATING MILK. APPLICATION FILED JULY20,1907. 91 5,019. Patented Mar. 9, 1909.

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APPARATUS FOR CQNCENTBATING IVZILIZ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 20, 1907.

Patented March 9, 1909.

Serial No. 384,792.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD Emir. CLiics- SEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates of Americe, and a resident of Hartford, in the county of Hartfordand State of Connecticut, with a post-of ice address in the above place,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus forConcentrating Milk, of which the following is a speci--cation.

This invention relates to apparatus for the treatment of milk, such ascommon cows milk, for the purpose of concentrating it to about theconsistency of what is termed in commerce as condensed milk, or reducingit to about onethird of its original bulk.

The object of this invention is to provide an apparatus which iscontinuous in its operation in which milk flows into the apparatus atone end and the concentrated milk is drawn off at the other.

Another object of this invention is to provide an overflow whichreceives the foaming overflowing milk when it is too violentlyagitatedrby the air injected.

Another object of this invention is to provide a screen which breaks upthe large air bubbles and divides the same into a number of smaller onesand also at the same time separates the mi k and maintains a mosteffective agitation of the same.

A further feature of this invention, resides in the arrangement, wherebythe succeeding rece tacles are of varying capacity, so that no aking orburning or the product can occur to the walls or" the vessels andthereby prevents spoiling of the product.

Further objects of the invention will here inafter appear such as therelative positions of the overflow edge, the milk discharge and the hotwater discharge, and to these ends the invention consists of a means forcarrying out the above objects illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved apparatus forextracting water from ordinary cows milk. Fig. 2 represents an endelevation of what is shown in Fig. 1, part of that figure being shown insection. Fig. 3 shows a front elevation taken on the dash and dottedline 33 of Fig. 1 and in the direction of the arrows.

In the views, 5 represents the floor upon which the apparatus is placed,and it comrises a series of two or three receptacles A, g and C,depending upon the amount of concentration required. In practice themilk is reduced to about one-third of its original bulk and I thereforeprefer to use three receptaclesl Each receptacle consists of an outer orlarger tank 6, 7 and 8 into which depends an nner or smaller tank 9, 10,and 11 leaving a space between the two which is filled with hot waterfrom inlet or supply pipes 1.2, 13 and let and ejected through thedischarge pipes 15, 16 and 17 whereby the inner tank is heated andmaintained at a certain temperature. In practice I prefer to maintainthe temperature in the receptacles A, B and C at 150, 120 and 90degreesFahrenheit respectively.

he inner or smaller tank depends into the larger tank and has one sideshorter or lower than the three others forming an over-flow edge asshown at 18, the purpose of which will be described hereinafter. Locatedclose to the overflow and connecting the inner and outer tanks is thetrough 19 et at an incline as shown in Fig. 3 and terminating in thedischarge pipe 20. Each trough 19 constitutes a part of the webconnecting the pairs of tanks above their bottoms. lhis web thereforeprovides for an inclosed hot water at each tank, one part of the webbeing lower than the remainder and being channeled to present the troughto which allusion has been made.

21 are pipes connected to a supply of air of suflicient pressure to keepthe milk in the smaller tank in a violent agitation, the sup ply ofwhich is regulated by valves 22. EX- tending from the pipes 21 and intothe tank are branche of air pipes 23 passing along and near the bottomof the tank and said branch pipes are provided with innumerable air jetdischarge apertures 34, which are arranged so as to discharge the airinto and through the mass of milk keeping the same in a violent state ofcontinuous a itation.

24 is a rod supported. in bearings 25, on the ends of the receptaclesand held in position by the collars 262. Fastened to the rod are stripsof metal 27 to which are fastened foraminous or reticulated screens 28and 29 set at an angle, the whole set into the inner tank so that thesame can be readily removed and cleaned. This arrangement is such, thatthe air bubbles coming from the branches of air pipe discharge apertures34 rise and strike against the screens and break u the same into stillsmaller air bubbles and a so serve to separate the milk particles fromeach other. The ends of the rods which support the screens projectbeyond the receptacles and act as handles whereby the screens can betaken out and cleaned.

30 is a filter located at any convenient place over the receptacle A,the largest one of the group, into which the milk is continuously pumpedby any well known means, and whereby the milk is separated from thedust, impurities and dense matter which is more or less present whendelivered to the factory.

81 is the discharge pipe of the milk from the receptacleA to thereceptacle B, whereas 32 represents the discharge pipe of receptacle Binto C and 33 the discharge for the last and smaller receptacle C.

It will be observed that the overflow edge 18 of the inner tank is ofless height than the three remaining partitions of said tank, that themilk discharge pipes are located below the overflow edge 18 (seedistance a of Fig. 2 of receptacles A) and that the hot water dischargepipes are arranged below the milk discharge pipes (see distance y of Fi2) for the purpose as will be explained hereinafter.

'lhe operation of my improved apparatus for concentrating milk is asfollows:The cows milk which is to be concentrated or treated is forcedor pumped in a continuous stream into the filter 30, is freed of allsolid impurities and is discharged into the inner tank 9 of thereceptacle A. The hot water having been turned on flows through the pipe12 and fills up the space between the outer or larger tank 6 and theinner or smaller tank 9 and then flows off at the discharge pipe 15. Inthis manner the inner tank is kept at a constant temperature of about150 degrees Fahrenheit or even somewhat higher at times without seriousinjury to the milk, the temperature being readily regulated by theadmittance of more or less hot water through the pipe 12. The air supplyhaving previously been turned on by the valve 22, which is connectedwith any well known source of supply under pressure, such as a pump orblower, forces the air into the branch air pipes 23 which are placedjust over the bottom of the inner tank and extend nearly the entirelength of the same, and they are supplied with innumerable small holesor perforations through which the fine jets of air are discharged in alldirections and whereby the whole mass is kept in a constantly violentagitation. As the air bubbles rise they collide and strike a ainst thescreens which break them up an also at the same time separate the milkarticles. As the air passes through the milk, it absorbs the moistureand carries it away when it leaves the tank. At times, according to thetem erature of the weather, it may be desirab e to first heat the air bypassing it over a heated coil and by this means the evaporation is veryeffective. In case of foaming, that is when the air bubbles do notreadily disengage themselves from the milk it rises and the foam runsover the overflow edge 18 and down the inclined trough 19 and throughthe discharge 20 where it is caught in a vessel and where the milkgradually settles to be turned back into the tank. As the nature of themilk is rather sticky, it is apt to adhere to the walls of the tank andif these walls should be hot the milk would dry and get baked or burnedto the walls and spoil the flavor and discolor the product. For thisreason it is important that the hot water discharge 15 should be belowthe milkdischarge 31 (as indicated by the distance y in Fi 2) as by thisarrangement there is always some milk above the highest heated point,and the Walls above the milk is comparatively cool and no baking to thewalls can occur. It will also be noticed, that the overflow edge 18 isquite a distance above the milk discharge 31 (as indicated by thedistance a: see Fig. 2) this is for the following reason. As soon as theair is forced into the volume of milk the surface rises due to the spacewhich the air bubbles require, and a part of the milk begins to flowthrough the discharge pipe 31 of the tank 9, into the tank 10 ofreceptacle B, but if the agitation is too violent and foaming sets inthe foam will pass over the edge 18 and be carried off by the trou h 20.I have arranged the filter 30, by whicn the milk enters the firstreceptacle A to the left of the apparatus and the milk discharge at theright hand side of the receptacle as far away as possible. The discharge32 from the receptacle B,"is to the left hand side of the tank and againthe discharge 33, of receptacle C is on the right hand side, alwaysplacing the delivery of the milk into the tanks on the opposite side andas far away as possible from the discharge.

To produce a concentrated milk in which the constituents of the same arechemically unchanged and the composition is exactly the same as milkdrawn from the cow, with the exception of part of the water beingmechanically evaporated, the milk must not be subjected to a temperaturehigher than 162 degrees Fahrenheit, in fact should not reach thattemperature and for that reason, I maintain the temperature in the firstreceptacle at 150 degrees. The principal constituents of milk are water,milk fat, and non-fatty solids, varying considerably according to theseason and according to the feed the cows receive, the proportion of fatvarying especially.

To evaporate the water at the greatest rapidity it is advisable tomaintain as high a tei'nperature as ossible at all stages from thebeginning to iish, but this is not practicable for the reason that asthe concentration increases, the danger of burning becomes greater andthe temperature should therefore be reduced and for this reason Igradually draw off the partly concentrated milk from the tank 9 into thetank 10, which is kept at a lower temperature of about 120 degreesFahrenheit. hi this tank 10, a further reduction or concentration takesplace and is tiien delivered through discharge 32 into the tank 11. Asthe mass is now approximately approacl ing the consistency of so calledcondensed milk and quite sticky the utmost care must be taken not toburn and spoil the mass in the last stage of the concentration and forthat reason, I apply to the last tank 11 only a term perature of about90 degrees Fahrenheit and as the milk leaves this tank it is similar inappearance to ordinary condensed milk, but differs therefrom, in that itret. s all the original solid constituents of milk unimpaired, and thatby again adding a certain portion of we er, corresponding to the amountexpelled by the evaporating process and then thoroughly mechanicallystirring the same, the milk will be restored to same quality consistencyand condition as before the treatment.

It is a well known fact that milk has been mechanically reduced byapplying external heat and injecting air which evaporates the water inthe milk and whereby the product is sterilized and many deleterious mirobes are destroyed. But this reduction has al ways been carried on inone tank where the externally applied heat had to be regulated and asthe reduction of the mass proceeded the hot water was gradually drawnoil so as to keep the walls of the vessel cool above the product.Another dis dvantage of this procedure is, that as the mass is reducedthe milk is splashed up against the walls or the same sticks to the sameand dries and is baked, flakes oil and falls into the milk, whereas inmy apparatus the milk ilows from one tank into the other, therefore isalways maintained at the same height in the tanks and the hot waterlevel is kept con stantly below the discharge of the milk and thereforethis sticking and baking to the walls cannot occur as clearly indicatedby the distance 1 oi Fig. 2. As previously stated the milk is reduced toabout one third of its original bulk and therefore, about three times asmuch milk enters from the filter 30 into tank 9, as is delivered at thedischarge 33 of tank 11, and to keep the tanks filled it is necessarythat each succeeding tank should be smaller.

Having described my invention what 1 claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is 2- 1. ran apparatus for concentrating milk, whichconsists of a double tank, the inner tank adapted to receive the milkand provided with an outlet to discharge the same,

the outer tank being connected with supply and discharge pipes whichfurnish hot water to keep the inner tank at a predetermined temperature,the inner tank provided with a series or air pipes connected to a supplyof air under pressure and extending and arranged along the bottom ofsaid inner tank and provided throughout their lengths with innumeiableair jet discharge apertures, an overflow on the trough between the outerand. inner tanks, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for concentrating milk, comprising a double tank onedepending into the other, the inner tank adapted to receive anddischarge tl milk -d provided h an overflow, a s; s of air pipes conctedto a supply of air under pressure and extending and ar along tl bottomof said tank provided throughout their lengths with innumerable air jetdischarge apertures, means to break up the air bubbles consisting of ascreen provided with numerous interstices, the outer provided withreceiving and discharging pipes connected to a supply of hot water bywhich the inner tank is maintained at a certain temperature and aninclined trough between the inner and outer tank, substantially asdescribed.

3. An apparatus for concentrating 1; ill comprising a series ofreceptacles, each receptacle consisting of a double tank one within the0th r the outer or larger tank being provided with a supply or hotwater, the inner or smaller tank adapted to receive the milk and to setwithin said outer hot water tank, air pipes connected to a supply of airunder pressure and extending and arranged along the bottom of said innertank and provided throughout their lengths with innumerable airdischarge apertures, an overflow on the inner tank and a trough betweenthe inner and outer tank, substantially as described.

l. An apparatus for concentrating milk, comprising a series ofreceptacles placed side by side to one another each succeedingreceptacle being of smaller capacity than the previous one and eachreceptacle consisting of a double tank one within the other, the outeror larger tank being provided with a supply of hot water, the inner orsmaller tank adapted to receive the milk and arranged and so within saidouter hot water tank, air pipes connected to a supply of air underpressure and extending and arranged along the bottom of said inner tankand. provided throughout their lengths with innumerable air jetdischarge apertures, an overilow on the inner tank and trough betweenthe inner and outer tank, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus for concentrating milk, comprising a series ofreceptacles placed side by side to one another and of varying cainnertank and an inclined &

pacity, each rece tacle consisting or" a double tank one within theother, the outer or larger tank being provided with a supply of hotWater, the inner or smaller tank adapted to receive the milk andarranged to set within said outer tank, air pipes connected to a supplyof air under pressure'and extending and arranged along the bottom ofsaid inner tank and provided throughout their lengths with innumerableair et discharge apertures, means to break up the air bubbles consistingof a screen depending into said inner tank, an overflow on t e innertank and a trough between the inner and the outer tank, substantially asdescribed.

6. An apparatus for concentrating milk, comprising a series ofreceptacles placed adjacent to each other, each receptacle comprising adouble tank one within the other, the outer tank provided with hot watersupply and discharge pipes, the inner tank provided with means forinjecting air into the milk and also provided with the overflow edge 18and the milk discharge pipe, said overflow edge being of less heightthan the other walls of the inner tank and said milk discharge pipebeing placed below the said overflow edge substantially as described andfor the purpose set forth.

7. An apparatus for concentrating milk, comprising a series ofreceptacles placed anjacent to each other, each receptacle comprising adouble tank one within the other, the outer tank provided with hot watersupply and discharge, the inner tank provided with means for injectingair into the milk and also provided with the overflow edge 18 and themilk discharge pipe, said overflow edge being of less height than theother walls of the inner tank and said milk discharge pipe being placedbelow the overflow edge, the said hot water discharge of the outer tankplaced below the said milk discharge of the inner tank to prevent themilk from baking to the walls of the inner tank, substantially asdescribed.

8. An apparatus for concentrating milk which consists of the followinginstrumentalities, receptacles of decreasing capacity,

said receptacles placed in positions that the provided throughout theirlengths with in-- ninnerable air jet discharge apertures, overflow edgeson the inner tanks, inclined troughs between the inner and outer tanks,milk discharge pipes connected to the said inner tanks and placed belowthe overflow edges, hot water discharge pipes connected to the saidouter tanks and placed below the milk discharge pipes, substantially asdescribed for the purpose set forth.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising inner and outer tanksand a Web connecting the tanks above their bottoms to present aninclosed hot water space, one portion of the web being lower than theremainder thereof and being channeled to present a trough.

10. An apparatus of the class described comprising inner and outer tanksand a Web connecting the tanks above their bottoms to present aninclosed hot water space one portion of the web being lower than theremainder and being channeled and also inclined.

GEORGE MoRTsoN, B. S. WoonwARn.

